2026 MLB Mock Draft: With The 20th Pick, The Red Sox Draft A Slugging SEC Corner Infielder

I take MLB mock draft rankings from major industry outlets like MLB Pipeline, ESPN, The Athletic (and many others) to form a consensus board, with a working hypothesis that using this approach will eliminate some of the noise and variance in MLB Draft mock rankings.

The Boston Red Sox’s first five picks are:

• Round 1: 20th Overall
• Competitive Balance Round B: 67th Overall
• Round 3: 96th Overall
• Round 5: 156th Overall
• Round 6: 185th Overall

Round 1: Ace Reese, 3B, Mississippi State

Reese has raked for Mississippi State since transferring from Houston ahead of his sophomore campaign. He's one of the better dual hit/power threats in the class, with any ceiling on his value being placed by an uncertain defensive home and limited supplementary tools.

Reese stands 6'4, 220, and has primarily played third base and first base in college. It's a solid arm, but fringe-to-average run and fielding tools. That might mean a long-term home at first base, which requires a greater level of offensive production.

Offensively, Reese shines. It's good bat speed and excellent raw power. He can homer to any part of the park (21 in 2025). Reese displays good bat-to-ball skills, both in and out of the strike zone, and he takes plenty of walks. A slightly elevated strikeout rate is rooted in his propensity to chase and expand the zone. If he can rein that in, he'll be a nightmare at-bat.

Reese finished 2026 with a .336/.432/.721 line with 24 home runs (27 XBH), a 14 BB%, a 21.6 K%, and a 144 wRC+. His approach and defensive home remain the only questions in an excellent, offensively driven profile.

Competitive Balance Round B: Cole Koeninger, SS/RHP, Keller HS (TX)

Cole Koeninger is a Tennessee commit on the older side for the prep class; he's also one of the most legitimate two-way prospects on the high school side of the class.

A terrific athlete with plus speed at 6'3, 210 pounds, Koeninger has typically played shortstop, with a plus arm and above average actions in the infield that could lend themselves to any position on the dirt. Offensively, at his best, it's a clean, short right-handed stroke. He provides plenty of impact and extra base power. Occasionally, his swing can look off balance, leading to some questions about the hit tool, especially given a poor summer showcase in 2025.

On the bump, Koeninger relies on a fastball that has taken a velo jump in the past year. It's been up to 97 mph but sits 93-94 mph. It's complemented by a big downer curveball and an emerging changeup.

It remains to be seen which side of the ball Koeninger will focus on long term. As soon as he settles into one, the skills will likely jump forward with additional attention and focus.

Round 3: Trey Ebel, SS, Corona HS (CA)

Trey Ebel is the younger brother of Brady Ebel, drafted 32nd overall by the Brewers in 2025, and the son of Dino Ebel, the Dodgers' long-time third base coach. Ebel will be 17 years old on draft day, a face likely to make him pop on organizational models.

Ebel is a right-handed hitter with what's currently a hit over power profile. He has an excellent approach and rarely chases pitches out of the zone. In the summer of 2025, he put together some of the best contact and approach numbers of any player on the summer circuit. In the last 12 months, Ebel has grown into more bat speed. That has translated to in-game, pull-side power, which can likely further develop to solid average power in time.

Defensively, there are good infield actions and a solid arm. He's a high baseball IQ player whose intelligence and feel for the game will likely help him outperform his physical tools. Ebel is committed to Texas A&M and is one of the sharpest risers on the prep side of the draft in the last few months leading up to day one.

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